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COLLEGE

SION LIBRARY (WITH THE SEAL OF THE COLLEGE)

Reproduced from 'London and its Environs described, 6 vols., 1761

Government of the Church from the beginning of the World until the Emperor Charles V."

It is due to the zealous labour of a XVth century scribe that the library possesses a volume containing four of Chaucer's celebrated "Canterbury Tales, beautifully executed on vellum; while Richard Hill, in the next century, provided us with a little MS. volume containing the Metrical version of the Book of Psalms of Sternhold and Hopkins, written in Shorthand. It is a delicately executed piece of work, with beautifully-coloured borders.

The oak panelled walls of the spacious College hall are adorned with many oil-paintings of more than ordinary value and interest. Before these are detailed, however, mention must be made of a small painting hanging on the library wall. This is a panel of earlier date than the College itself, representing on one side a head of the Saviour and on the other the beheading of St. John the Baptist. This curious relic is of the early Italian school and is reputed to have formerly belonged to the ancient priory of Elsing Spital.

Recurring to the paintings in the Hall, the chief-from a sentimental standpoint is naturally that of the founder Thomas White. This was a presentation from the Corporation of Bristol, replacing a similar portrait which was lost in the Great Fire of London. Other pictures comprise those of benefactors, and include George, Lord Berkeley, Samuel Brewer, Thomas James, and his wife, Eleanor James, the latter depicted "in the full Sunday dress of a citizen's wife of the time of William and Mary," and Sir Robert Cook. There are also portraits of Charles I. and Charles II., while, the Bishops of London having from the foundation of the College acted as its Visitors, it is but natural that portraits of many of them should be included in the collection. These include likenesses of Laud, Juxon, Compton, Gibson, Sherlock, Terrick, Randolph, Howley, Blomfield, Tait and Jackson, and engravings of Temple and Creighton. With a list of Presidents dating from 1630 it is only to be expected that many distinguished personages have at different times controlled the destinies of the College. It is with those who have been closely identified with literary pursuits, however, that we are chiefly concerned here.

Weeping ProFor a time he

Thomas Westfield, who achieved the distinction of being twice President of Sion College, in 1631 and 1632, gained the sobriquet of the phet," from the sad and pessimistic trend of his discourses. was Rector of St. Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield, but on the outbreak of the Civil War his parishioners turned against him on account of his Royalist leanings, and he fled to the King, who created him Bishop of Bristol. His sermons were published posthumously in 1646 and 1660.

Richard Houldsworth, President 1639, was an ardent Royalist and an eloquent preacher. At first a moderate Puritan and an opponent of Laud, he, on the commencement of the Civil War, veered round to the other side. He was allowed to visit Charles I. at Hampton Court, when the fallen monarch conferred upon him the degree of Dean of Worcester. This was quite a nominal appointment, however, for Houldsworth died a few months after his Royal Master's execution. It is to be regretted that he did not leave his valuable library to the home of his Presidency, but instead bequeathed it to the Cambridge University Library, where it now is.

In 1644 John Ley, "bachelour of divinitie," became President, and to his credit stands a long list of theological publications, mostly, however, of an ephemeral nature. He became a Prebendary of Chester in 1627, and is further remarkable for the number of large livings he held at different times.

One of the most important figures in the theological world during the first half of the XVIIth century was Cornelius Burges, whose career is an amazing revelation of the distress to which a man may be reduced by a turn of fortune's wheel. From being a leader of his party he eventually came very near starvation, and had to part with a large portion of his valuable library to satisfy his immediate needs. He attained the Presidential chair at Sion College in 1647, and again in the following year. There is a pathetic note in his bequest of his collection of valuable prayer-books, the sole remnant of his library, " to my dear and much

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honoured mother the renowned university of Oxford." He published many sermons, tracts, etc., and a small pamphlet entitled "Sion College, what it is and doth." The Puritan Divine, Edmund Calamy, who was President in 1650, possesses a distinct niche in the history of this period of religious controversy. From the book-lover's standpoint, though, he is chiefly noticeable as being one of the authors of "Smectymnuus," the curiously-named work of the five divines who wrote against Bishop Hall's claim for divine right of episcopacy. Calamy is represented by the third and fourth letters of the quaint title, which by the way, represents an anagram of the initials of the five collaborators,

The official head of Sion College in the following two years was Dr. Lazarus Seaman, whose library was the first collection of books to be sold by auction in England. His immediate successor was James Cranford, who "reigned" for three years. He is known as the author of a "Confutation of the Anabaptists," "Hæres Hæreseomachia," and various sermons and tracts. Samuel Clarke who succeeded to the chair, was the Minister of St. Bennet Finck (since demolished), and the author of various poems, theological and devotional tracts, and certain biographies.

In 1676 John Meriton was President, of whom Pepys remarked, although at the same time referring to him as "that dunce Meriton," he " made a good sermon, and hath a strange knack of a grave, serious delivery, which is very agreeable." Meriton did much valuable work among the poor during the troublous times of the Plague, and later was untiring in his efforts to facilitate the rebuilding of the City after the Great Fire. The year 1683 saw the famous William Sherlock in power, who afterwards became Dean of St. Paul's. He appeared to be endowed with the gift of writing controversial treatises, the majority of which, however, have outlived their reputation. His "Knowledge of Jesus Christ," issued in 1674, and his Vindication of the Doctrine of the Trinity," which appeared in 1690, should be mentioned though. Edward Fowler (President 1690), was a member of the committee of thirty divines appointed the previous year to revise the Prayer Book, which revision, it may be remarked, was not carried out. His writings were favourably considered by Bishop Sheldon, who saw that he obtained preferment in several London parishes. Eventually his reply to a pamphlet by a Jacobite secured him the Bishopric of Gloucester. The President in 1701 was Richard Lucas, famous as the author of "Enquiry after Happiness," which work was written after he had lost his sight, and was the direct result of a firm resolve not to dwell upon his misfortune ; while five years later the author of "Some dialogues between Mr. Goddard and others," among other pieces - Thomas Lynford--filled the Presidential chair.

Thomas Mangey, of St. Mildred's, Bread Street, and a Canon of Durham, passed the chair in 1734. He is perhaps best remembered by his edition of Philonis Judæi Opera" issued in 1742. Five years later we find Anthony Ellys, D.D., occupying the same position. His (anonymous) "Remarks on Mr. Hume's Essay concerning Miracles," 1752, is deserving of mention, as well as his long-projected "Defence of the Reformation," parts of which eventually appeared posthumously. William Crowe, D.D., Rector of St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, became President in 1740, and chiefly interests us from the fact that he was a Greek scholar and is reputed to have lent his valuable notes to Dr. Bentley, from whom he could never recover them. In 1742 the well-known Joseph Trapp attained the chair. A poet and pamphleteer, he early contributed poems to the the Oxford Collections, as well as undertaking many translations, plays and poems. He became the first Professor of Poetry at Oxford, 1708-18, and subsequently published his lectures under the title of "Prælectiones Poeticæ His sermons were issued in 1739, and for many years he occupied himself with the production of Church Tory Tracts, and in controversies with Roman Catholics and Dissenters. The most noteworthy of his literary products is the translation into blank verse of Virgil, which occupied his leisure hours for close upon 28 years. Edward Cobden, D.D., who was President in 1751, was Archdeacon of London and Chaplain to George II., as well as the author of many poems and sermons; while Thomas Birch, who held office in 1758, was the author of many notable historical works, secretary of the Royal Society from 1752-1765, and an important contributor to the "General Dictionary, Historical and Critical," 1734-41. He bequeathed his collection of historical and biographical manuscripts to the British Museum.

Thomas Newton, served the office of President in 1760, and in the following year was appointed Bishop of Bristol. His works were published in three volumes in 1782, and contained the autobiography, a work on the Prophecies, and a collection of dissertations and sermons, since when many other editions have appeared. It is interesting to reflect that an edition of 1834 in one volume admitted that the "Dissertation on the Prophecies was "Tom's great work, but how far it was great, and how much of it was Tom's, was another question." A"

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very literary" president was Jeremiah Milles (1762), who apart from his clerical duties and they were many-found time to collect materials for a history of Devonshire, and prominently identified himself with the Chatterton controversy, besides contributing many articles of an antiquarian and archaeological nature to the transactions of the learned societies. His library was sold in 1843-the sale taking five days-by Leigh and Sotheby, when several of the best manuscripts were acquired by the British Museum.

A cleric who enjoyed a considerable fame as a miscellaneous writer was Ferdinando Warner, who became President of Sion College in 1764. He was greatly esteemed as a preacher, while his writings show him to have been a singularly well-informed and learned person. For his work entitled " A Scheme for a Fund for the Better Maintenance of the Widows and Children of the Clergy," 1753, he received the thanks of the clergy assembled in the College hall. Probably his most valuable work was the "Ecclesiastical history to the Eighteenth century," issued in two folio volumes, 1756-7. There is a touch of humour clinging to his last and most unfortunate work, which he issued under the title " A Full and Plain Account of the Gout;.. with some new and important Instructions for its Relief, which the Author's Experience in the Gout about thirty years hath induced him to impart." Soon after imparting his cure for this disease he himself died of it, and so destroyed the efficacy of his system for ever.

James Townley, Rector of St. Bennet, Gracechurch Street, and President in 1769, is perhaps best known as the talented author of the famous farce " High Life below Stairs," first produced at Drury Lane, 1759. He was appointed Headmaster of Merchant Taylor's School in 1760, and for several years following he initiated representations of stage plays by the boys, which he produced in conjunction with his friend David Garrick. The Trustees of the School, however, eventually put a stop to the performances.

In 1781 John Douglas, afterwards Bishop of Salisbury, assumed the reins of office at Sion College. It is recorded that when a young man he was present at the Battle of Fontenoy as an Army Chaplain; but his later fame rests on his enormous output of pamphlets. He exposed the forgeries by which William Lauder had charged Milton with plagiarism, and forced Lauder to own to the imposture, and similarly helped Johnson in the laying of the Cock Lane ghost. He also edited Clarendon's "Diary and Letters."

William Vincent, who was President in 1798, was admitted to Westminster School as a "town boy" in 1747; eventually rising to be Headmaster, and subalmoner to the King. He occupied the position of Headmaster of Westminster School for a period of fourteen years, respected alike by the staff and the scholars. He it was who expelled Robert Southey in 1792 for his authorship of the "Flagellant." From 1802-1805 Vincent was Dean of Westminster, in which capacity he superintended many schemes of restoration in the Abbey. A scholar of more than ordinary ability, his chief study was Ancient Geography, upon which he published many pamphlets and treatises. Some of his Latin verses were translated into English by the poet Cowper.

The distinguished antiquary John Brand, who was originally apprenticed to a cordwainer at Newcastle in 1758, was elected President for the years 1802-3. His "History of Newcastle" and "Popular Antiquities," as well as his general antiquarian and bibliographical works, are perhaps too well known to book-lovers to need any comment here. In 1809 another classical President was Henry Meen, successively a minor canon and prebendary of St. Paul's. He was also the

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